Daily Archives: November 16, 2024

ICMR-NIN scientists conduct first gene profiles in poultry

For the first time, Indian scientists have reported antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene profiles in poultry from Kerala and Telangana, and have cautioned that the emerging resistance can get aggravated by the depleting antibiotics repertoire.Poultry is a major source for AMR because its industrial farming by modern practices widely use antibiotics. India and China are major producers of meat and have hotspots of AMR.This has been stated in a recently published paper titled ‘The antimicrobial resistance profile in poultry of Central and Southern India is evolving with distinct features’, which was recently published in Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, by the Drug Safety Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.Speaking about the study, Shobi Veleri, one of the authors of the paper, said that while central and southern India were predicted as emerging hotspots for AMR in poultry there was no data available to substantiate it.“To this end, we collected chicken faeces from poultry farms in these regions and isolated genomic DNA. The samples exhibited a higher prevalence of gram-negative and anaerobic species. These deadly species have an extra layer of cell membrane protection against drugs that could kill them. AMR acquired by them poses an additional challenge for medical treatment of serious infectious diseases like pneumonia, cholera, food poisoning etc.,’’ Dr. Veleri said.The high priority pathogens, like E.coli, Clostridium perfringens, Klebsiella pneumonia Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcous faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacteriodes fragiles, which pose challenge for antibiotic treatment in India were also detected in poultry and were carrying AMR genes. It is a red flag for urgent intervention to stop AMR spread in the ecosystem, the paper noted.Respiratory Infections (Pneumonia, bronchitis), Urinary Tract Infections, Gastrointestinal Infections, Intra-Abdominal Infections, and several Clostridial Infections commonly seen in India are caused by gram-negative and anaerobic species. The infections of AMR pathogens increase the public health risk and likelihood for mortality arising from limited drug options and consequent health complications.The study further found that southern India had the highest abundance of AMR genes than Central India. E.coli was significantly more prevalent in the southernmost zone of India than in other sites. Also the ICMR data had many common AMR profile features of the European Union (EU) poultry farms but lacked mcr-1, the gene renders resistance to colistin, the last resort antibiotic in essential drugs list of WHO. This is a recently emerged AMR gene in E.coli. Similarly, a newly emerged resistance gene, optrA, detected in EU was undetected in Indian poultry samples, whereas qnr highly present in EU is emerging in south Indian samples in low levels.“Our data revealed the extent of AMR gene evolved in central and southern India and we can say that it is comparable to the EU data but severity is lesser than in the EU,’’ the report said. Thus, now India has a window of opportunity to control AMR spread in the food chain, scientists note while seeking urgent government intervention to ensure the safety of the public. Published – November 16, 2024 05:00 pm IST
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Scientists find evidence that entirety of Earth was once covered in ice

Even the balmy tropics may have once been crushed by colossal masses of ice. A severe ice age dominated Earth, some 720 to 635 million years ago, well before dinosaurs stalked the land. But it’s uncertain if the entire world froze over during the glaciations of this long-lived, extreme episode, dubbed “Snowball Earth.” Now, new evidence from Colorado, an area that once was located in the tropics, suggests mighty glaciers sprawled over even Earth’s warmest regions.”This study presents the first physical evidence that Snowball Earth reached the heart of continents at the equator,” Liam Courtney-Davies, a geologist at CU Boulder who led the new research, said in a statement. The research was recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a leading science journal.
SEE ALSO:

The first images of Earth are chilling

A dramatic decrease in greenhouse gases that trap heat on the globe — notably carbon dioxide — may have triggered the slide into a frozen orb. Previous research has suggested that even though Earth’s average temperature dropped well below freezing, some of the ocean surface and land resisted turning to or getting blanketed in thick, hard ice.But evidence in the lofty Colorado mountains points to heavy ice in the tropics.

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The telltale rocks are called Tava sandstone, which are exposed in the Rocky Mountains. As you might have guessed, sandstone started out as sand on the surface, but is compacted together by different activities, such as grains in rivers becoming buried by layers and layers of silt. In this case, the researchers say the Tava sandstone resembles the type of features found underneath ice sheets, like those in present-day Antarctica.To see if heavy glaciers may have compacted this once-tropical sandstone (shown below), the researchers dated the mineral veins that crossed through the sandstone. They shot these ancient, rusted minerals with a laser, which discharged uranium, a common radioactive element in Earth’s crust. Crucially, uranium naturally decays at a constant rate, providing a dating technique and a good idea of when something formed.

Orangish Tava sandstone exposed atop the Rocky Mountains.
Credit: Christine Siddoway / CU Boulder

The dark reddish-brown bands are the layers of Tava sandstone researchers say were crushed under heavy glaciers during Snowball Earth.
Credit: Liam Courtney-Davies / CU Boulder

The result? The uranium dating lines up with the period of Snowball Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago.
This is a compelling find, suggesting great glaciers compressed a once tropical Colorado. But this is just one surveyed area. More surveys are needed to truly grasp the extent of this vast ice cover on Earth. “We want to get the word out so that others try and find these features and help us build a more complete picture of Snowball Earth,” Courtney-Davies said.Eventually, the extreme ice age ended, perhaps stoked by a massive asteroid strike that blew a plethora of heat trapping gasses into the atmosphere, melting the ice and forcing weighty glaciers to retreat. Earth’s crust continues to reveal our planet’s wild ride over billions of years — a ride that continues today on Earth’s ever-moving surface.

Scientists find evidence that entirety of Earth was once covered in ice

Even the balmy tropics may have once been crushed by colossal masses of ice. A severe ice age dominated Earth, some 720 to 635 million years ago, well before dinosaurs stalked the land. But it’s uncertain if the entire world froze over during the glaciations of this long-lived, extreme episode, dubbed “Snowball Earth.” Now, new evidence from Colorado, an area that once was located in the tropics, suggests mighty glaciers sprawled over even Earth’s warmest regions.”This study presents the first physical evidence that Snowball Earth reached the heart of continents at the equator,” Liam Courtney-Davies, a geologist at CU Boulder who led the new research, said in a statement. The research was recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a leading science journal.
SEE ALSO:

The first images of Earth are chilling

A dramatic decrease in greenhouse gases that trap heat on the globe — notably carbon dioxide — may have triggered the slide into a frozen orb. Previous research has suggested that even though Earth’s average temperature dropped well below freezing, some of the ocean surface and land resisted turning to or getting blanketed in thick, hard ice.But evidence in the lofty Colorado mountains points to heavy ice in the tropics.

Mashable Light Speed

Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?
Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Light Speed newsletter.

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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The telltale rocks are called Tava sandstone, which are exposed in the Rocky Mountains. As you might have guessed, sandstone started out as sand on the surface, but is compacted together by different activities, such as grains in rivers becoming buried by layers and layers of silt. In this case, the researchers say the Tava sandstone resembles the type of features found underneath ice sheets, like those in present-day Antarctica.To see if heavy glaciers may have compacted this once-tropical sandstone (shown below), the researchers dated the mineral veins that crossed through the sandstone. They shot these ancient, rusted minerals with a laser, which discharged uranium, a common radioactive element in Earth’s crust. Crucially, uranium naturally decays at a constant rate, providing a dating technique and a good idea of when something formed.

Orangish Tava sandstone exposed atop the Rocky Mountains.
Credit: Christine Siddoway / CU Boulder

The dark reddish-brown bands are the layers of Tava sandstone researchers say were crushed under heavy glaciers during Snowball Earth.
Credit: Liam Courtney-Davies / CU Boulder

The result? The uranium dating lines up with the period of Snowball Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago.
This is a compelling find, suggesting great glaciers compressed a once tropical Colorado. But this is just one surveyed area. More surveys are needed to truly grasp the extent of this vast ice cover on Earth. “We want to get the word out so that others try and find these features and help us build a more complete picture of Snowball Earth,” Courtney-Davies said.Eventually, the extreme ice age ended, perhaps stoked by a massive asteroid strike that blew a plethora of heat trapping gasses into the atmosphere, melting the ice and forcing weighty glaciers to retreat. Earth’s crust continues to reveal our planet’s wild ride over billions of years — a ride that continues today on Earth’s ever-moving surface.